what was the dred scott decision

The Dred Scott decision was a landmark 1857 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in the case Dred Scott v. Sandford. The Court ruled 7–2 that Dred Scott, an enslaved Black man who had lived in free states and territories, was not entitled to his freedom. The decision held that African Americans, whether enslaved or free, were not and could never be citizens of the United States, and therefore could not sue in federal court. Additionally, the Court declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional, ruling that Congress had no authority to prohibit slavery in U.S. territories. This decision effectively nationalized slavery and intensified sectional tensions, pushing the nation closer to the Civil War. It is widely regarded as one of the worst Supreme Court decisions in American history and was later overturned by the 13th and 14th Amendments, which abolished slavery and granted citizenship to all persons born in the U.S.